YouTube Tuesday: Remember When . .

So, YouTube Tuesday and my birthday coincide today. Whoop-de-doo. Another year older. I like Alan Jackson's song, "Remember When"; there's a line in there that goes, "Remember when thirty seemed so old, Now lookin' back it's just a steppin' stone," Never were there truer words spoken.



When the big 3-0 happened, a friend of mine said, "Turning 30 just gives you more street cred. Welcome to the Dark Side!" Though I am just barely dipping my toe in the waters of 30-something, I love being "in my 30s". Turning 30 was a big panic attack for me. Not the same as 20. For some reason, at that age, you're more excited to be in your "20s". I let 30 loom at me and kick my trash. 30 stomped all over me and left me huddled in a small ball, humming nonsense to myself. Here's what I told 30.



So bring it on! I'm ready! Hit me with your best shot! (no, I'm not putting up a pat benetar vid)


**that last vid is from 'dr. horrible's sing-along blog'. super duper show. go --> here <-- to start it. it's three acts.

A shoveled driveway

Accomplished

And this is from Tuesday. It has since snowed another 4 inches. Lovely. I forgot how much of a workout it is to shovel snow. I don't think I've done this since I was 15 or 16. A show of noticeable progress. It's something to do outside; where I prefer to be. It's easy during any other season; mow the law, weed, plant something. But this is about all there is to do for a grown-up during the winter. Though there is a great sledding hill on the other side of town . . . hmmm.

What $13 gets you . . . .

This is what $13 at Deseret Industries get you. A whole lotta good!

Deseret Industries, or D.I. in local speak, is a tight-wad's dreamland. It's kind of like a Goodwill store. They are nonprofit and accept donations. When I was too lazy to organize a yard sale, this is where I took 6 van loads of "stuff", i.e. out-grown clothes, toys, and assorted junk. Junk to me, but treasure to someone else. You know the saying . . . I have fond memories of D.I., we bought our first couch there for $35. I got a pair of jeans there for $3 that lasted me 3 years.

I went to D.I. with a purpose; to find frames. I have a wall that is nothing but frames. My dream is to have a nice, unique collection of just frames. Actually, it's singular right now: frame. I saw this online at Ikea about a year ago.

I had such visions and daydreams about this frame. Such beauty and splendor would have a place of honor and nothing, n-o-t-h-i-n-g will be in it. This piece of art is the centerpiece. My wonderful sister-in-law, Chelsey, snagged it for my birthday last year. It was too cumbersome to ship and so it waited in her guest bedroom until we arrived in Virginia to collect it. And it was the sixth passenger in my van, carefully tucked out of the way of flailing feet. 'The Frame' was one of the first things hung up on the wall.



You know how frustrating it is when you have a vision, and you know what you need, but you can't find it? That's my problem right now. So, I dove into the Frame & Picture section at D.I and resurfaced with this assortment. Some may stay in their natural beauty, others will be altered. And one or two may not even make the cut. But at $2 a piece, I can afford to be choosy! I got some spray paint and, if one is painted, it will be in burgundy, black or creme. I'll keep you posted on my progress. Tomorrow is Saturday, after all. Time for the Weekend Warriors to rise! After we sleep in . . .

YouTube Tuesday: Jedi Gym

This is one vid I can truly claim as an original find. Not one that was emailed. Not in the top ten of what viewers are watching. All by my little self. It once was lost . . . and I found it.





*Ok, a little bit of geek pride here. See the size of that video above? It wasn't always that tiny. Some videos on YouTube have a ridiculously wide, narrow size that covers up part of my sidebar when I post a video. I changed that. *woot*

Thoughts . . .

I just can't

think a thing
on my own.
Has to be
words that come
to my head
not a thought
otherwise.
People say
practice, too,
makes it flow
easier.

- me

If you can't tell, I've been a bit uninspired as of late. No picture taking or writing is happening. Just feeling the winter blahs, I guess. We went to visit my sister in Montana this last weekend. Baby Taylor is getting cuter by the day!

Food food food

Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to take some pictures before we devoured this masterpiece. This gem of a recipe was found on a wonderful foodie blog called, "Judy in Her Natural Habitat". It doesn't have a fancy name, but it's not needed. Crab, Spinach & Artichoke Macaroni & Cheese. The name melts in your mouth just as much as the dish.


Judy got this recipe from a restaurant and tweaked it even more from their version. (adding spinach & artichoke hearts) And, ironically, I think my overseas friends will have an easier time finding all the proper ingredients than I did. Gruyere, fresh goat's cheese, white cheddar, etc. This was really so so easy & fast. And, since I have picky eaters, I just made extra elbow macaroni & made regular mac & cheese for the kids.

I don't measure! I'm sorry! I just add till things look even and taste right. That's probably why I'm a horrible baker. My alterations to the recipe are as follows: I used all white cheddar instead of part white cheddar part gruyere. Amounts? I used way more than just a half cup of cheese. I like cheesy! I used all cream cheese; lack of fresh goats cheese. And when combining macaroni & the sauce, add more heavy cream. And instead of Italian parsley and granulated garlic, I used garlic salt. And I decided to forgo the garnish. Let's face it, I just wanted that goodness in my belly!! Go to Judy's site for step by step pictures & instruction! She'll hold your hand the whole way! Cheers!

Crab, Spinach & Artichoke Mac & Cheese
Judy In Her Natural Habitat: The Kitchen

Adapted from Salty's Mac & Cheese
Serves about 8

Ingredients
12 ounces elbow macaroni
1/4 cup white cheddar, shredded
1/4 cup gruyère cheese, shredded
3/4 pound Dungeness crab meat

10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach, drained really well

14 oz can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

Cream base
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chèvre cheese - Cypress Grove Fromage Blanc only
(if you can’t find this cheese – double the cream cheese)
1/2 cup cream cheese
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
pinch white pepper

Breadcrumb topper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped

Garnish
3 ounces arugula
1tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to broil

Prepare pasta: In large soup pot cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in colander and set aside.

Prepare Cream Base: In medium sauce pan over medium heat add heavy cream and heat. Add chèvre cheese and cream cheese and mix thoroughly. Fold in spinach and artichoke. Set aside.

Prepare Breadcrumb topper: Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Set aside.

Prepare garnish: In small bowl toss arugula with lemon juice, olive oil and salt.

Return drained pasta to large soup pot. Add cream base and heat over medium heat until hot. Add white cheddar and gruyère cheese. Fold in crab. Pour mixture into shallow casserole dish. Sprinkle breadcrumb topper over pasta. Place in oven and broil until golden brown. Remove from oven. Top with arugula and serve immediately.

Cousin Time

Grant and his cousin Paul

When my sister-in-law Becca & her kids came over to the 'Burg this last weekend, we had a blast! We took them to R-Jump at the Rex. I mean, where else would we take them? The Rex rocks! The rear annex of the building has been turned into a bouncy paradise. Bouncy castle, bouncy slide, bouncy obstacle course, well, you get the picture. It's also cheap and you can bounce for an unlimited amount of time. In reality, the kids can handle about an hour, maybe an hour and a half if they're super hyped. All in all, a fun time.

The best action shot of Paul I could get

A peeking Jacqui

The finesse of Mairyn

p.s.
eliza was there, I just didn't get a chance to catch her in action. she is just on the border of being too old for this.